Government grants hundreds of temporary visas to Palestinians
The Australian government has granted hundreds of temporary visas to Palestinians in the weeks since Israel began its bombing campaign of Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians and flattened large swathes of the densely populated strip.
The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed 860 visas have been approved for Palestinians with connections to Australia between October 7 to November 20.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said: "Australia is doing all it can to support Australians, their immediate family members and a number of long-term visa holders still in Gaza who wish to depart."
"People who obtain visas to Australia are subject to appropriate security checks."The ABC has spoken to Australians who have been anxiously sponsoring visa applications for family members and relatives in Gaza who have endured six weeks of Israeli bombardment.
It is understood the Australian government has been issuing visitor visas (subclass 600) that allow people to remain in the country for three to 12 months.
One man the ABC spoke to applied for visitor visas on behalf of more than 50 relatives in Gaza.He added that most of those applicants had been approved by the government.
Another person who applied for visitor visas on behalf of her family members said a number of men between 18 and 50 were being denied passage at the Rafah border crossing, even though they had been approved for a visa by the Australian government.
Palestinian-Australian woman Ola Aladassi said people fleeing the decimated Gaza Strip would need support once they arrived in Australia.
"Most of these people come here without any documentation with them, without any money with them," she said.
"They come from this very bad experience in the war in Gaza … we need help looking after all of these people."
While those on visitor visas are allowed to engage in study for up to three months, they are not allowed to work.She expressed concern about the ability for those who seek safety in Australia to be able to return to their homeland.
"Can these people be guaranteed to go back?" she asked.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-22/government-issues-temporary-visas-to-pale... The article says most don't have any documentation yet somehow they passed security checks.
They don't have any money not allowed to work does AnAl expect taxpayers to support them? Will they get priority housing while Australians are homeless?
Egypt considers Hamas to be a terrorist group that is why Egypt blockades Gaza.
Jordan doesn't want them last time they let Palestinians in they tried to overthrow the Monarchy. Jordan shelled their refugee camps before evicting them.